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Elm wood is bold and rich with character. It makes for fantastic solid wood furniture. But what does elm look like and what makes it unique? Let’s take a look.
Elm Wood for Furniture
Elm’s strength makes it a good option for furniture. It’s classified as a soft hardwood; elm wood makes dependable, lasting furniture, but it may sustain dents and scratches more easily than oak or hickory, for example.
Colors
Elm’s heartwood, or the wood closest to the center of the log, features shades of light to medium reddish-brown. The sapwood, or the wood in the outer portion of the log, is off-white in color. Elm has a coarse, uneven texture—similar to oak wood—but it sands nicely and takes stain easily.
Wood Grain
Elm’s wood grain is unique and striking. Stain creates high contrast that reveals prominent rings and loops, surrounded by jagged ripples and flecks.
This interlocking grain pattern forms as wood fibers reverse direction as the tree grows. This creates a grain pattern that’s both beautiful and functional. It actually makes the wood stronger and more resistant to splitting.
Best Uses of Elm Wood
Elm wood steam bends nicely and holds its shape well. This makes it popular for chair backs, furniture frames, and seats. Elm’s strength makes it great for furniture and flooring, as well as things like cutting boards, butcher blocks, tool handles and decorative objects.
Elm Furniture at DutchCrafters
At DutchCrafters, we offer Elm wood on a wide range of furniture products, but it’s most popular on dining sets—occasionally paired with brown maple to make a beautiful two-wood, two-toned set.
If you’re looking for a striking grain pattern, durability, and unique colors, Elm wood could be the right choice for you. What do you think? Will Elm be part of your next piece of furniture?
I’m Beth Rice at DutchCrafters. I hope you learned something new, and thanks for watching.